Daniel Nava Vs Josh Hamilton

[Dojji]

Speaking of Mr. Nava, his splits for the season are so far the opposite of last year

 

V. left he's hitting to a .968 OPS with 2 HR's in 20 PA's

V right he's hitting at a .906 OPS with 3 HR's in 78 PA's

 

It's too early to really take splits to mean anything, but whatever issues were keeping him from being effective against LHP last year seem to be behind him for now.

[a700hitter]

Speaking of Mr. Nava, his splits for the season are so far the opposite of last year

 

V. left he's hitting to a .968 OPS with 2 HR's in 20 PA's

V right he's hitting at a .906 OPS with 3 HR's in 78 PA's

 

It's too early to really take splits to mean anything, but whatever issues were keeping him from being effective against LHP last year seem to be behind him for now.

I had read or heard that he was working to improve from the right side of the plate. Thus far, that work has paid off. The biggest surprises for me has been his added power and his adeptness in RF (even in Fenway). He has proved more than adequate in RF.

[jung]

Depends on the RF. Nava appears to e a little slow of foot for Fenway's RF. He has enough arm so that he can get away with spending some time in RF. He will not make you forget Vic out there though. Nava is perfect for the dimensions and the general requirements of Fenway's LF where his judgement and baseball savvy really come in handy.

[a700hitter]

Depends on the RF. Nava appears to e a little slow of foot for Fenway's RF. He has enough arm so that he can get away with spending some time in RF. He will not make you forget Vic out there though. Nava is perfect for the dimensions and the general requirements of Fenway's LF where his judgement and baseball savvy really come in handy.

He's done the job in Fenway too. He has gotten good jumps and he has been positioned well to make up for his lack of speed.

[jung]

Except for the ball that dropped about 3 yards in front of him that would have been easy pickin's for Vic

[BSN07]

Nava is ok in RF for now, ultimately I think he's better suited for LF at Fenway.

[RedSoxNC84]

I had read or heard that he was working to improve from the right side of the plate. Thus far, that work has paid off. The biggest surprises for me has been his added power and his adeptness in RF (even in Fenway). He has proved more than adequate in RF.

 

Thankfully too, now they don't have to rush Victorino to get back on the field, potentially making his back worse.

[RedSoxNC84]

Except for the ball that dropped about 3 yards in front of him that would have been easy pickin's for Vic

 

Still better than Ryan Sweeney or Cody Ross.

 

The only thing that scares me is Gomes in LF.

[Behindenemylines]

Remember we are not asking Nava to put up Hamilton type numbers. If he plays solid defence and gets on base a lot he will serve a huge roll with this Red Sox team. When the season ends Hamilton's numbers will be better then Nava, unless there is a major injury. But not signing Hamilton looks like a good call.

[Bellhorn04]

As of May 17

 

Nava OPS .873

Hamilton OPS .606

 

Josh has a long way to go to catch up.

[SoxSport]

They did not figure Nava to be anything more than a part-time player this year, since he had a bad 2nd half last year. But the story is he had a bad wrist. This year, he's hitting like he was the 1st half last year, which puts him in the starting OF mix. The result is Gomes has been pushed to the bench, except for some DH platooning. But it's a long season. You go with what is best at the time.

[SoxSport]

Hamilton has a slow April, but that could turn around in a minute. His career stats are in another league from Nava's.

[Thunder]

If Hamilton heats up, so will the Angels. Right now, that's not looking like it will happen. Hamilton's swing just looks a little bit off.

[Bellhorn04]

If Hamilton heats up, so will the Angels. Right now, that's not looking like it will happen. Hamilton's swing just looks a little bit off.

 

I think the Angels are a mess regardless of whether he heats up or not.

[mvp 78]

As of May 17

 

Nava OPS .873

Hamilton OPS .606

 

Josh has a long way to go to catch up.

 

Nava: WAR 1.0

Hamilton: WAR -0.8

 

It was so obvious that he wouldn't live up to that contract. He'd be doing even worse in Boston.

[seabeachfred]

If Hamilton heats up, so will the Angels. Right now, that's not looking like it will happen. Hamilton's swing just looks a little bit off.

 

If Hamilton reverses course and goes the opposite of what he has done so far he is going to light up the scoreboard. The guy is a big talent and has underachieved. OTOH, is it even remotely possible that all his previous play with liguor and drugs have finally had a cumulative effect and is eating away at his body? Not sure but it could be a possibility. He just looks like a different hitter this year and this is not what the Angels signed him for.

[jung]

Hamilton is a big talent but I think the only way to have really had something going would have been to have hoped that Texas drawing the line on contract years would have discouraged other teams with regard to years. That did not happen or at least in one case that did not happen and that was the end of that.

[SoxSport]

It's looking more and more like Nava is finally breaking out. His hitting stats so far are impressive. He is showing power, OBP and average. He is a kid with the kind of swing and batting eye which suggests he could be a very good hitter. It's still early, but my guess he is raising some eyebrows in the Red Sox organization. He could be really good. He needs to play every day.

[italstallianion]

It's looking more and more like Nava is finally breaking out. His hitting stats so far are impressive. He is showing power, OBP and average. He is a kid with the kind of swing and batting eye which suggests he could be a very good hitter. It's still early, but my guess he is raising some eyebrows in the Red Sox organization. He could be really good. He needs to play every day.

 

Better enjoy him while you can before we trade him to Oakland for a reliever.

 

j/k

[User Name]

It's an awful joke, just so you know.

[italstallianion]

Can't be funny all of the time. Besides, even if you are funny, not everyone will see it or agree with it, so I'm not particularly worried about what you think.

 

Now if you disagreed with me on a real baseball topic and came at me with advanced stats/charts, then I'd be worried.

[User Name]

I could pull up some stats that show just how bad that joke was, but i'm too lazy to cook it up.

[SoxSport]

Better enjoy him while you can before we trade him to Oakland for a reliever.

 

j/k

 

Beane probably calls Cherington about once a week about him. He'd be nuts to trade him right now. Better to deal Ellsbury.

[jung]

I like Nava better than Gomes because I think Nava is a more complete ballplayer and because whatever he has done in the off season, his bat speed appears better to me than I have ever seen it and not marginally better either. However both while not being the guys we pay much attention to in the overall scheme of things seem to have a settling influence on the lineup when they are in.

 

None of the primary bench players should be left cemented to the bench for as long as Farrell leaves them there. Hopefully they will see more time going forward. Gomes has gotten almost all the time that Farrell can throw at him. However, Nava needs time and Carp needs time. Ciriaco will always get enough time cause he is covering so many infield positions. We are wearing some guys out with the playing time they are getting while guys that seem to be able to contribute sit.

 

Napoli will need more than 1 day off every month and a half. I think that has zero chance of working. Ells may be an entirely different story but there seems little sense in carting him out to CF each and every game for stretches as long as this and batting him lead off makes no sense at all at this point. Pedey wants to play every game and he may just be able to play every game. Not sure I would want to test that though. I would like to see him get a little bit of a break at the end of really strenuous stretches. Funny how we have made all these changes and it still seems to me to be exactly the same situation as we had last year. There are three guys that must be in the lineup. If two of those three are out at any point at the same time,,,,we are sorta' screwed. They are Pedey, Ortiz and WMB. It was that way last year and it is that way this year.

[RedSoxNC84]

It's an awful joke, just so you know.

 

At least Reddick isn't hitting 5,000 homers this season.

[User Name]

At least Reddick isn't hitting 5,000 homers this season.

 

He's not hitting anything, actually. There are a lot of pitchers in the NL with a better OPS than Reddick's.

[seabeachfred]

I like Nava better than Gomes because I think Nava is a more complete ballplayer and because whatever he has done in the off season, his bat speed appears better to me than I have ever seen it and not marginally better either. However both while not being the guys we pay much attention to in the overall scheme of things seem to have a settling influence on the lineup when they are in.

 

None of the primary bench players should be left cemented to the bench for as long as Farrell leaves them there. Hopefully they will see more time going forward. Gomes has gotten almost all the time that Farrell can throw at him. However, Nava needs time and Carp needs time. Ciriaco will always get enough time cause he is covering so many infield positions. We are wearing some guys out with the playing time they are getting while guys that seem to be able to contribute sit.

 

Napoli will need more than 1 day off every month and a half. I think that has zero chance of working. Ells may be an entirely different story but there seems little sense in carting him out to CF each and every game for stretches as long as this and batting him lead off makes no sense at all at this point. Pedey wants to play every game and he may just be able to play every game. Not sure I would want to test that though. I would like to see him get a little bit of a break at the end of really strenuous stretches. Funny how we have made all these changes and it still seems to me to be exactly the same situation as we had last year. There are three guys that must be in the lineup. If two of those three are out at any point at the same time,,,,we are sorta' screwed. They are Pedey, Ortiz and WMB. It was that way last year and it is that way this year.

 

Farrell has to pick his spots wisely when to give the key players a day off now and then. Never rest a key player when there is a day off the next evening. I do think that Nava needs to play as much as possible. Unlike some flashes who the pitchers catch up to, so far it seems that Daniel has caught up to the pitchers and is doing a good job for us. The guys I worry about are Ellsbury and Saltalmacchia. The former is just goofing along, not getting on base, not getting many hits, not stealing any more bases and playing like he's fighting constipation out there. It's like he's playing not to get hurt. What he needs to do is play hard and leave it all on the field. I'd bet that if he got hot the team wouldn't undergo the downfall it had for the better part of two weeks As for Jarrod, your guess is as good as mine. He is a defensive grenade always ready to blow, and unless he can hit 30 homers and drive in 85 or so runs he seems to be more of a liability than an asset.

[SoxSport]

I think that kid Webster may have had a bad outing his time up because Ross was hurt and he had Salty as catcher. Salty frames pitches in the middle of the plate--and when a pitcher gets hit, it's usually because his pitches are too good. He's a big Abrams tank behind the plate, and not a great target.

You wanted Ross or Lav catching him in that situation. Lav should know him well. That was a management mistake. Salty gets love because he's a good kid and hits HRs.

 

I agree Nava has to play everyday. There is a question of his durability, but he's a good hitter and needs regular at bats to stay sharp.

[User Name]

How is it a management mistake when YOU JUST SAID YOURSELF Ross was hurt, and that's why Salty caught him? There was no roster space for Lavarnway. You are making my brain bleed with every post you make.

[italstallianion]

Suns still leads in that category all time. I thought I was going to have an anuerysm. If he didn't post his picture, I'd have thought he was a really excellent troll rather than a "special needs" teenager from Kentucky.